Police will ‘robustly’ investigate paedophiles after ‘vile’ Donington-on-Bain pensioner jailed for 17 years for abusing young girl he groomed with treats

Police have vowed to ‘robustly’ investigate paedophiles, saying they will pursue all lines of enquiry to ‘bring offenders to justice’.

DC Carla Sutton was speaking after ‘vile’ pensioner Roger Faulkner was jailed for 17 years after abusing a young girl he groomed with gifts and treats.

The 69-year-old was also ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life after being found guilty of two charges of rape of a child aged under 13, and six further matters of sexual assault.

“Faulkner’s behaviour was vile and unacceptable,” said Lincolnshire Police’s DC Sutton of Protecting Vulnerable People in East Lindsey.

“This conduct will not be tolerated in Lincolnshire, and we will pursue all lines of enquiry to robustly investigate such cases and bring offenders to justice.”

“The victim in this case has had to wait a prolonged period of time for justice and she has shown nothing but bravery. I hope that she can now start moving forward with her life.

“We will always listen as we seek to make our county the safest place to live, work and visit and would like to encourage anyone who has experienced a similar crime to get in touch.”

Faulkner, of Neve Gardens, Donington-on-Bain, appeared at Lincoln Crown Court on Friday, May 10, accused of eight sexual offences against the child.

He denied the charges, but it took a jury less than 90 minutes to find Faulkner guilty of all eight offences which took place over an eight-month period.

A Lincolnshire Police statement read: “If you’ve been the victim of rape or sexual assault or offence, please report it to us as soon as possible.

“Even if you’re not 100 per cent sure, we want to hear from you so that we can make sure you’re safe.

Further support for victims can be found by clicking here.

The police statement added: “If you’re not ready to talk to the police just yet, that’s OK.”